Locke visits Recovery Act-funded public computer center
in Baltimore, unveils new website to improve computer and
Internet skills in America

At a public
computing center in Baltimore, Md., today, Secretary Gary Locke announced a
digital literacy initiative that works to expand economic and educational
opportunities in America. Locke was joined by
U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski
(D-MD) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) to unveil www.DigitalLiteracy.gov, a new
website that provides libraries, community colleges, schools and workforce
training centers with a variety of resources and tools for teaching computer and
Internet skills, which are increasingly important to success in today’s global
economy.

Prior to
the unveiling, Locke and the senators toured a computer lab and saw first-hand
how people in the Baltimore community are using this new website to find free training
resources on a range
of digital literacy topics at various skill levels, including assistance in
searching for and applying to jobs
online.

“In a
globalized, 21st ccentury economy, when you don’t have regular access
to the high-speed Internet – and the skills to use it – your education,
business, and employment opportunities are narrowed,” Locke said. “The tools we
are unveiling today will help more Americans gain valuable job skills and
augment the Recovery Act investments we are making to expand broadband access
and adoption nationwide.” Press release | Fact sheet

Earlier this month, I saw firsthand the benefits of our
sustainable broadband adoption projects when I attended a graduation ceremony in
D.C. Byte Back, a BTOP grantee partner, held a ceremony for adults who
completed computer and jobs-skills training courses. At the graduation, I met
students who showed me how these courses are enabling them to cross the digital
divide and open doors to new opportunities.

One of the graduating students was a mother who had to
seek out her teenage daughter’s help in order to pass the course. Another
graduate was a senior who came to the program when her computer broke. She
enjoyed the courses so much that she is now a volunteer with the program,
helping to teach other seniors valuable computer skills that can help them stay
informed and connected. Several others were already finding ways to put their
new skills to work and had lined up job opportunities.

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today urged businesses to prepare for the transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), an updated Internet addressing system, with the release of a new "IPv6 Readiness Tool."

All devices that connect to the Internet, such as computers, smartphones, and smart grid technologies, require an Internet Protocol (IP) address. IPv6 is designed to expand the number of IP addresses available because the current number of Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) addresses will eventually exhaust. While industry action and planning are needed, consumers do not need to take action to prepare for the IPv6 transition.

The new tool, a comprehensive checklist for businesses preparing to deploy and adopt IPv6, was developed by experts from industry and the Internet technical community in response to a call from White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra at an IPv6 workshop hosted by NTIA last September.

"The IPv6 transition will pave the way for a next-generation Internet," said White House CTO Aneesh Chopra. "I urge all U.S. businesses that depend on the Internet to make the IPv6 transition a priority by starting the planning process now."

The planning tool outlines IPv6 preparedness issues, such as the technical needs associated with deployment. The purpose of the tool is to help business leaders identify readiness issues and to bring these issues to the attention of senior corporate management to ensure successful IPv6 deployment and accelerated innovation.

"The development of this tool demonstrates the value of bringing together stakeholders to address today's pressing Internet issues," said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling. "The IPv6 transition is critical to the continued growth of the Internet, an engine for facilitating commerce and economic growth. We will continue to highlight the importance of this issue and encourage companies to share best practices to further IPv6 uptake."

The current FY 2011 Continuing Resolution may expire without new budget authority. While it is not anticipated that there will be a lapse in appropriations, the Department must be prepared for a potential lapse in funding that would necessitate a significant reduction in operations.

Prior to a potential lapse in funding, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires the Department to submit a draft plan for agency operations in the absence of appropriations (a "shutdown plan"). This plan will likely be modified with additional guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and OMB, as the situation develops, and may be changed by the Department, as circumstances warrant.

This plan complies with the guidance provided by the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce.

At an event in Washington, D.C.
today, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling described the progress of broadband
stimulus projects, noting that Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)
grantees have thus far installed more than 4,000 computers for public use and
provided computer training to more than 65,000 people.

“These Recovery Act projects are
already providing an essential link to economic and educational opportunities
for thousands of Americans,” said Strickling.

Guest blog post by Rick Wade, senior adviser to Secretary Locke, deputy chief of staff, and member of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status

Today the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status submitted a report to President Obama and Congress that provides recommendations for addressing Puerto Rico’s political status and economic climate. The report identifies specific proposals for boosting economic development, building competitive industries, and improving the quality of life for the people of Vieques – a Puerto Rican island-municipality in the northeastern Caribbean.

These recommendations, along with plans for their implementation, follow two public hearings held in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., as well as meetings with island officials and other stakeholders to gather input directly from a broad cross section of voices on the issues of Puerto Rico’s status and economic development.

The report underlines the fact that Puerto Rico’s political status continues to be of great importance to its people. Its economy – like many others – has also faced significant challenges in recent years, driving the need for a greater focus on economic progress in the U.S. territory. Per capita income in Puerto Rico remains at less than one-third of that in the United States, due in part to its low employment rate and persistently low rate of labor force participation.

The U.S. Department of Commerce will be intensely involved in implementing the recommendations of the Task Force’s report. Six of the department’s 12 bureaus will lead projects in support of economic growth in Puerto Rico. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will help develop an interagency team that works to connect Puerto Ricans to broadband Internet. The International Trade Administration’s U.S. Export Assistance Center in San Juan will help Puerto Rico increase its exports. And the department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis will help Puerto Rico update its methodology for calculating gross domestic product so it aligns with U.S. standards and better captures economic conditions there.

Acting Deputy Secretary
Rebecca Blank traveled to Boulder, Colorado this week to visit some of the
department’s state-of-the-art facilities run by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).

Her four-hour tour
included stops at the nation’s time standard, NIST's F-1 Cesium Fountain Clock;
the quantum devices group where NIST scientists study and make volt standards,
photon detectors and quantum computing chips; the temperature, humidity and
vibration controlled Precision Measurement Lab, under construction at NIST and
due to be completed in the spring of 2012; and NTIA's radio, video and audio
labs at the Public Safety Communications research
facility.

At NOAA, Blank saw
demonstrations of a unique visualization tool, Science on a Sphere; toured the
Space Weather Prediction Center and the National Weather Service’s Forecast Research Center; viewed a demonstration of the wind
profiler model; and visited the Global Monitoring Division and the Environmental
Data Archive.

The cutting-edge work
that takes place at the department impacts the daily lives of the American
people – from the accurate timekeeping ability of the Atomic Clock to high-tech
weather forecasting capabilities to the continuous improvement of communications
devices used by first responders. The scientists and researchers at NIST, NTIA
and NOAA are leaders in research and development and help to keep the United
States at the forefront of innovation and
global leadership.

Today Secretary Locke wrote an op-ed
posted in The Hill with a focus on how the administration
and the Commerce Department are working to increase America's global
competitiveness and create U.S. jobs by selling more American-made goods and
services around the world.

As 2011 begins, the American economy is stronger than at any time since the Great Recession began in December 2007.

Retail sales just had their strongest quarterly gain since 2001. Private sector employment grew every single month in 2010, with the manufacturing sector posting its first increase in annual employment since 1997.

These are strong indications that the steps President Obama took to foster economic recovery are working — beginning with the Recovery Act and continuing through the December 2010 tax-cut package.

But that’s not to suggest that anyone within the administration or the Commerce Department is satisfied — not with unemployment still over 9 percent.

As we move forward, policymakers should remember that the most important contest is not between Democrats and Republicans, but between America and countries around the world that are competing like never before for the jobs and industries of the future.

Making the U.S. more competitive will require us to focus on two things: supercharging innovation and selling more American-made goods and services around the world, so that U.S. firms can hire more workers and reinvest in the research and development they need to keep growing.

Although the private sector will take the lead on innovation, we can’t forget that the government has always had an important, supportive role to play, and the Commerce Department is engaged in a variety of areas.

The Department of Commerce today issued a report detailing initial policy
recommendations aimed at promoting consumer privacy online while ensuring the
Internet remains a platform that spurs innovation, job creation, and economic
growth. The report outlines a dynamic framework to increase protection of
consumers’ commercial data and support innovation and evolving technology. The
Department is seeking additional public comment on the plan to further the
policy discussion and ensure the framework benefits all stakeholders in the
Internet economy.

“America needs a robust privacy framework that preserves consumer trust in the evolving Internet economy while ensuring the Web remains a platform for innovation, jobs, and economic growth. Self-regulation without stronger enforcement is not enough. Consumers must trust the Internet in order for businesses to succeed online.” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

Today’s
report, based on extensive public input and discussion, recognizes the growing
economic and social importance of preserving consumer trust in the Internet.
Global online transactions are currently estimated at $10 trillion annually.
Between 1998 and 2008, the number of domestic IT jobs grew by 26 percent – four
times faster than U.S. employment as a whole – with IT employment projected to
increase another 22 percent by 2018.

Both
industry and public interest groups agree that online consumer privacy should
be strengthened, said Daniel Weitzner, NTIA’s Associate Administrator for
Policy. Speaking in Washington D.C. today, Weitzner said that public response
to the Commerce Department’s inquiry into online
privacy underscores the need to bolster privacy in a manner that
continues to ensure the Web remains a platform for innovation, jobs, and
economic growth.

Weitzner
said that the Commerce Department’s decision to address online privacy and
other Internet policy issues stems from the significant and growing social and
economic contributions that the Internet makes to our lives. For example,
domestic online transactions are currently estimated to total $3.5 trillion
annually, and digital commerce is a leading source of job growth.
“Preserving consumer trust is essential to the sustainability and continued
growth of the digital economy,” said Weitzner.

Based on
stakeholder feedback gained through the Commerce Department’s inquiry, Weitzner
outlined an approach that can promote innovation while increasing consumer
trust, including committing to baseline privacy principles and convening
stakeholders to develop voluntary but enforceable codes of conduct to implement
those principles.